Screw-driver.



B. B. CHASE E. VAN SIGKLE. SCREW DRIVER.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 11, 1911.

1,028,675, Patented June 4, 1912.

BURTON LB. CHASE AND EMIVIETT VAN SIGKLE, OF PORT JERVIS, NEW YORK,ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD 'I'O CHARLES N. KNAPP, OF PORT JERVIS, NEW YORK.

SCREW-DRIVER.

the county of Orange and State of New York have invented new and usefulIma I provements 1n Screw-Drivers, of which the followlng 1s aspecification.

The invention relates to screw drivers,

and more particularly to the class of ball ratchet head screw drivers.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a screw driverin which the shank thereof may be locked in the ratchet head when turnedin one direction, but on the reverse turning of the head, the shank willbe unlocked from the head, thus permitting the free rotation of thelatter.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a screw driver inwhich the shank thereof may be locked in the ball ratchet head, wherebyit may be turned in reverse directions at will, thereby enabling thescrew driver to be used in contracted places.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a screw driver inwhich the handle portion thereof is connected with the shank, so that itmay freely rotate in either direction on the shank,--without turning thesame, or the shank may be locked with the handle, so that both may beturned together.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a screwdriver which is simple in construction, thoroughly reliable andeflicient in operation, and inexpensive in manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consist-s in theconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts, aswill behereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a screw driverconstructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2'is a verticallongitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on theline 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 1 is a sectional view on the line 4;4 of Fig.2. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the screw driver shankand the ratchet controlled slidemounted thereon.

Specification of Letters Patent.

well-known construction.

Patented June 4, 1912.

Application filed July 11, 1911. Serial No. 637,892.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the screw driver comprises ahandle 5 which may be of any desirable length, and is formed with acontracted circular-shaped end 6, in which is suitably swiveled theinner end of a shank or stem 7, the outer end thereof being formed withopposite flattened beveled faces 8 forming a tapered pointed edge 9 forengagement in the grooved head of a screw (not shown) of the ordinaryThis shank or stem 7, at its inner end, is formed with a squared portion10, surrounded by an ad justable sleeve 11 longitudinally slidable onthe squared portion 10 of the shank or stem, the bore in the sleeve 11being correspondingly squared with respect to the squared inner portion10 of the said shank or stem, so as to rotate therewith, while the innerend of the said sleeve 11 is formed on its outer face with ahexagonal-shaped portion 12 for alternate locking engagement withratchet members, presently described.

Surrounding thev sleeve 11 and fixed to the reduced end 6 of the handle5 is a forrule 13, in which are loosely mounted inner and outer ratchetmembers or disks 14 and 15, respectively. In the periphery of the innerratchet member or disk 14 are formed ball cam seats 16, while in theperiphery of the outer ratchet member or disk 15 are formed ball camseats 17, reversely disposed with respect to the seats 16 in the in nerratchet member or disk, the seats 16 and 17 being adapted to receivebearing balls 18. The innermost or main portions of the seats 16 and 17are of the same diameter as the bearing balls 18, and are so locatedthat when the balls'18 are mounted therein, the

said balls will just clear or barely engage the inner surface of theferrule 13, whereby the latter will be free to rotate independently ofthe inner and outer ratchet members or disks.

The seats 16 and 17 taper outwardly from their deeper portions to theperiphery of the ratchet members or disks, so that on movement of themembers or disks in one direction, the balls 18 will be wedged in theseats 16 and 17 between the said members or disks and the ferrule forthe locking of the same together. However, it is to be understood thatby reason of the reverse disposition of the seats 16 and 17 with respectto each other, on the movement of the inner the movement of the saidmember or disk 15 in the reverse direction, it will be locked with thesaid ferrule 18 independently of the inner member or disk 14. The innerand outer members 1A and 15 are independently locked to the shank orstem 7, in a manner presently described.

The inner and outer ratchet members or disks 141 and 15 are arrangedconcentrically about the squared portion 10 of the shank 7 and thesleeve 11 and are spaced from the former, and these ratchet members areprovided with central hexagonal-shaped openings 19 of a correspondingsize with respect to" the hexagonal-shaped portion of the said sleeve11, so that upon adjustment of the latter, the said hexagonahshapedportion 12 thereof may be brought into position for engagement in eitherof the central openings 19 in the ratchet members or disks 14: and 15,respectively, thereby locking the same with the stem or shank 7 fortheturning thereof in reverse direction.

The inner and outer ratchet members 14. and 15 are spaced apart by meansof a spacing washer 20- interposed therebetween and confined within theferrule 13, so that the said members or disks will not interfere witheach other in their independent movements in the operation of the screwdriver.

Formed on the outer end of the adjustable sleeve 11 is an outt-urnedannular flange 21 provided at diametrically opposite points withinwardly extending lugs 22, the same being adapted to engage incorrespondinglyshaped notches 23 formed in an annular rim 24: on theouter end of the ferrule 13, the lugs 22 when engaged in the notches 23being adapted to lock the stem or shank 7 with the ferrule 13, wherebythe screw driver may be used in the ordinary wellknown manner, andthereby preventing the. handle 5 from turning independently of the stemor shank of the screw driver.

The inner ratchet member or disk 14: is held spaced from the inner endof the han-j dle by means of a spacing washer 25, the same beinginterposed between said member? or disk on the handle 5. The inner endof; the handle 5 is formed with an annular raceway 26 concentricallywith respect to the shank or stem 7, and in which are disposed a seriesof bearing balls 27, the latter being adapted to travel upon the washer25, there by reducing friction'during the operation of the screw driver.

WVhat is claimed is:

1. A screw driver comprising a handle, a shank rotatably connectedtherewith, a ferrule fixed to the handle and surrounding a portion ofthe shank, spaced inner and outer ratchet disks loosely surrounding theshank within the ferrule and provided with noncircular openings, saiddisks being provided with ball seats, locking bearing balls confinedwithin the seats and adapted to engage the ferrule on reverse movementsof the disks, and a slidable sleeve locking against rotation on theshank and having a non-circular portion adapted for alternate engagementwith the non-circular openings of the ratchet disks to lock the sameindependently of each other on the shank.

2. A screw driver comprising a handle, a

shank rotatably connected therewith, a ferrule fixed to the handle andsurrounding a portion of the shank, spaced inner and outer ratchet disksloosely surrounding the shank within the ferrule and provided withnon-circular openings, said disks being provided with ball seats,locking bearing balls confined within the seats and adapted to engagethe ferrule on reverse movements of the disks, a slidable sleeve lockedagainstrotation on the shank and having a noncircular portion adaptedfor alternate engagement with the non-circular openings of the ratchetdisks to lock the same independently of each other on the shank, thesaid ferrule being provided with notches in its outer end, and lugsformed on the sleeve and .engageable in the notches for locking thesleeve with the ferrule and simultaneously locking the, shank with thesleeve.

3. A screw driver comprising a handle, a shank rotatably connectedtherewith, a ferrule fixed to the handle and surrounding a portion ofthe shank, ratchet mechanisms loosely vsurrounding the shank within theferrule and provided with non-circular openings, and a slidable sleevecarried by the shank and locked against rotation thereon, said sleevebeing provided with a non-' circular portion adapted for alternateengagement with the non-circular openings of theratchetmechanisms tolock the latter independently of each other on the shank.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

BURTON B. CHASE. 7 EMMETT VAN SICKLE. Witnesses:

JAMES C. LAUnR, JENNIE VAN SIcKLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner'of Patents, Washington, I). G. I

